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Month 3 - Chapter 8: When is a tree not a tree?

After a couple days of travel via circuitous routes, we finally ended up in orbit of Ossus. Already, I could tell that the place was a wreck; I almost mistook it for Tatooine, if it weren't for the massive thunderstorms on the darker side of the planet. 

While I waited for Yoda to arrive, I struggled to remember details about this relatively obscure world. Ood himself should be in or near the great Library, which I recall being near or within a massive canyon, but the local people and the two moons, I didn't remember much about, aside from the locals being force-sensitive. HK pipes up by this point. "Declaration: I am detecting a hyperspace transition. One ship."

I turn to look through the viewport. A much larger vessel than what Yoda previously rode in on, this appears to be a consular-class. He probably brought along some Jedi to help him salvage some relics. It wastes no time in descending towards the surface, and I rush to put on a hazardous environment suit before we ride down in the Hazard. 

- - - - Two hours later - - - -

We eventually catch up with Yoda, who apparently found a landing pad below the crumbling library. The place is gargantuan, squatting atop a canyon wall, with great domes peppering its ziggurat-shaped upper floors. No wonder it's sometimes described as a Jedi Mecca of its time; the place is both a fortress and a city! Indiana Jones, eat your heart out. Still, it's a five thousand year old complex, and many of the buildings here have long since collapsed. We land next to his Consular-class, where a small parade of Jedi have gathered. Yoda, Mace Windu, Yaddle, and several others I don't recognize, a dozen total. Yoda walks up as HK and I disembark the vessel, and addressed me. "Sense a great presence, I do. Master B'nar yet lives, you said, yes?"

"To my knowledge, I believe so. If my information is correct, he should be within the Library proper, though I don't know if he's ambulatory."

"Hmmm. Concur, I do. Durable beings, Neti are."

"Then let's go in. I suppose most of your team here is meant to collect any lost artifacts or knowledge?"

"Suppose correctly, you do. By ourselves, you and I will go see Master B'nar."

"After you, Master Yoda."

We begin to enter the complex, up the hundreds of stairs, through crumbling passageways and looted rooms, and eventually, hours later, we find ourselves at a sealed stone door. Yoda promptly closes his eyes, clearly concentrating, and slides the door out of our way. Beyond, we see a treasure trove of scrolls and artifacts, most of which seemed to have decayed beyond use. Mace and the rest of the Jedi begin carefully packing away what salvageable items remain, and Yoda begins walking forward towards another passageway. Several corridors clearly had collapsed, so we were only left with two ways forward. 

Yoda leads us down the left path after a few moments of deliberation, presumably following his senses towards B'nar. I've slowly grown lost in this maze, and HK seems to be having difficulties too, but Yoda is guiding us towards the inner chambers of this gargantuan building, eventually to a door marked in a faded script I could not read.

Yoda, after a few moments, opens the door, and beyond? Beyond that entryway, I see a tree, growing in the sunlight of a ruined study, where broken slatted windows and the discarded remains of Exar Kun's underlings lay moldering. As I approach alongside the aged council member of the Coruscant Jedi order, the tree shifts, very slightly, revealing sunken knots where eyes might be.

I speak up after a few moments of awe shared between Yoda and myself. "Master Ood B'nar, I presume? I was under the impression you'd be taller."

I could almost hear the creaking of the wood doing its best impression of a laugh. "After so many years, the first words I hear are a bit of humor. I needed that. Yes, I am Jedi Master Ood B'nar, at your service. Who might you be?"

"I go by David Hatton, a businessman that's fairly invested in getting the Jedi Order's various strays back to their current temple and maybe help push some reforms. Master Yoda here, I'm sure he can introduce himself."

Yoda swats me on the knee with his gimer stick, but I could tell he's in a great mood. "Jedi Master Yoda, of the Coruscant Temple, am I. It is an honor to meet you, Master B'nar."

After rubbing my knee for a moment, as that little swat actually stung a little, I continue. "Master B'nar, Exar Kun is.. Well, not quite dead. His spirit haunts the moon of Yavin IV, and according to my information, holds the souls of Massassi children hostage. I would like to enlist your help in removing him for good."

The ancient Neti's brow furrows, and Yoda grunts, annoyed that I hadn't told him before this important moment. I add on to my previous statement. "You are, to my knowledge, the only living person that's personally familiar with Exar Kun and his methods, as well as that period of Sith history and force rituals."

"You have my assistance, young man, but please, some water before I begin unrooting myself." I oblige him, producing a large canteen. One of his branches creaks and groans as it grasps it, and what I assume is his thumb dips into the stopper's hole. After a couple minutes, he gently returns the canteen to my hand, and I get to watch the interesting process of a Neti folding themselves back down into a vaguely humanoid shape. Thankfully, Neti are genderless in matters of human definitions of decency, but I'll spare the readers this imagery. I manage to hold my lunch in, and HK observes from the back, deeply interested, presumably studying the ancient Neti Jedi's biology so as to more efficiently kill him if it becomes necessary. 

I unpack a robe from my backpack and hand it to B'nar, who puts it on promptly. He then reaches down and uproots a tile, revealing a lumpy bag, lifting it up and placing it on an improvised 'belt' made from his own anatomy. Right, the lightsabers! "Well, that was an experience. Master Yoda, Master B'nar, I plan to go to Yavin next, so if you'd like to hitch a ride, the Memetic Hazard will be lifting off when you're ready." 

Two hours of retracing our steps later, we return to the landing pads. Mace looks over and does a double-take at Ood, who politely waves, and I call over to him. "Mace, I'll be leaving one of my ships in orbit here so you can move more salvaged relics. Call it a logistical service at a discount." He nods stiffly, eye twitching slightly. 

We board the Hazard and prepare to fly back up to the Delivery, when B'nar speaks up. "You appear to have a reputation with some of these Jedi, David."

I chuckle. "Of course I do, Master B'nar, I actively cultivate it."

The ancient Neti makes a creaking sound that sounds like a wheezing chuckle, and we all begin buckling in. We leave the No such thing as Free behind to help the Jedi excavation team. Yes, I chose that ship to torment Windu further. No, I do not and will not regret it.

- - - - 1 Week Later - - - -

We reach the orbit of the titular moon. Thankfully, the Barloz-class is being treated more like an oversized shuttle at this point, and both Yoda and B'nar have private rooms so I don't have to learn their traveling habits. They join me on the Hazard after they use the hygiene facilities, and I made sure to put a few rations in the old Barloz, so that Master Ikrit has something civilized to eat after four centuries. Speaking of, how is he still alive? He's gone past his species' lifespan thrice over, and if Jedi stasis techniques are that good, I'll call hacks.

HK flies us down, landing us at the foot of the Massassi temples dotting Exar Kun's little home away from home. Yoda immediately perks up, confused. 

I smirk. "Sense someone familiar?"

He looks pointedly at me. "Know, did you?"

"Master Yoda, you should know me by now; I keep things need-to-know, and an awkward teacher-student reunion will be the least of your concerns today."

B'nar chuckles, before speaking up. "He's right, you know."

"Well, let's get this mess over with." I stand up, and open the hatch, to my instantaneous regret. Dear god, the humidity! The smell! "How in all the Corellian hells did that smarmy bastard tolerate living the last days of his life here!?"

B'nar and Yoda both chuckle at my expense, before joining me in disembarking. "HK, secure the Hazard. I don't want unexpected guests."

"Resignation: Of course, Master, I shall endeavor to perform my duty."

Of course, today will certainly get worse. After all, I made the mistake of walking into a Sith force ghost's temple.